In 2005, the Emory-Tibet Partnership launched a research study to evaluate whether compassion training could be employed as a method to address growing rates of depression in college undergraduates. The results of that study demonstrated that the practice of compassion meditation reduced neuroendocrine, inflammatory and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress that have been previously linked to the development of mental and physical disease. These promising results attracted the attention of leaders in education, medicine, and the Atlanta foster care system. Over the last several years, members of our team have initiated a series of research projects evaluating the efficacy of our CBCT intervention for healthy adults, elementary school children, adolescents in foster care, and survivors of trauma.

To meet the needs of our growing research programs, we launched our first CBCT Teacher Certification Program, Level One, in 2011. This program offers a comprehensive introduction to CBCT theory and pedagogy, and certified teachers to begin teaching CBCT in research and community-outreach settings.

The CBCTTeacher Certification program is intended for those with a long-term contemplative or meditative practice who wish to deepen their knowledge of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training and to serve as CBCT instructors for ongoing research projects or for outreach in theirpersonal or professional communities.The list of Certified Teachers includes people from many areas, includingK-12 teachers, therapists, doctors, nurses, community organizers, researchers, and graduate students. All are people who have taken the Foundation Course in CBCT and hope to make CBCT a bigger part of their lives.

Long-distance training for those outside of the Atlanta area is available as long as the applicant commits to in-person attendance at the summer retreat and the workshop at the end of the Practicum. Also, special accommodation for the TAship must be addressed on a per-person basis, and videotaping of the TAship classes will likely be required.

Please note that if an institution wants to offer CBCT, for example by having its staff teach CBCT as part of their salaried duties or by offering CBCT to individuals who pay the institution directly for instruction, an institutional agreement is required, notwithstanding the Certification Agreement that is required for individual instructors. Please inquire directly with the Emory-Tibet Partnership if you would like to know more about the Institutional Agreement.

Please note that CBCT Teachers are expected to coordinate all research on CBCT with the Emory University, as spelled out in detail in the Certification Agreement.

TEACHERS CERTIFICATION LEVEL

This Level of Certification is meant for advanced teachers with many years of experience in teaching CBCT. The primary benefits of this level are (1) offering CBCT “foundation” courses that count as a prerequisite for applying to the CBCT Teacher Certification program (though only when offered through a formal institutional partner), and (2) referring to one’s self as a “Senior” instructor of CBCT.

CERTIFICATIONand APPLICATION PROCESS

Details, including costs, are presented below for each of these topics:

Level One Certification Components

Summer Retreat/Workshop

Summer

Supervised Co-Teaching (formerly called “Teaching Assistantship”)

Level Two Certification Components

Teaching Portfolio Review

Final Examination

Enrollment and Registration

Application Process

Seeds of Compassion Scholarship

LEVEL ONE COMPONENTS

Level One Certification requires attending the three part Teacher Certification program: retreat, a practicum, and a teaching-assistantship. The first two parts are attended as a single cohort to provide a supportive environment for exploration and development of CBCT teaching skills.

All participants are responsible for arranging their own off-site accommodation and transportation. (Please inquire for a list of possible accommodations and other logistics.)

This week-long retreat and workshop affords participants an opportunity to deepen their CBCT meditation practice and begin developing skills of teaching the protocol. The first part is devoted to intensive practice and reflection (“retreat”). The final part are a skills workshop to begin exploring and practice explaining the protocol in all its parts, with a focus on the rationale of the sequence and the practical aspects of contemplative teaching.

Final Workshop Location: To be determined, at Nalanda University, Barcelona, Spain.

2017 Fee: To be determined (US Program price, for comparison: $1900)

The Practicum provides an extended opportunity for trainees to develop their knowledge and understanding of the protocol through readings, discussion, writing, and sample teachings, all in the context of observing a videotaped CBCT course taught by experienced CBCT instructors. Practicum is structure primarily through on-line interactions, and thus is available to people from any location. At the conclusion of practicum, all participants gather for a weekend workshop to practice pedagogical strategies and skills.

For 8 weeks, assignments will be submitted on-line with due dates at regular intervals, usually twice per week. The practicum includes weekly assigned readings, both background material for the protocol and scientific studies examining compassion and contemplative practice. The assignments provide trainees a chance to build their own course syllabus with sample class plans and meditation scripts for each topic. There are also writing assignments responding to hypothetical student questions. Throughout the practicum, trainees practice the CBCT protocol daily and keep a practice journal in order to help strengthen their insights into the protocol and how to present it.

Participants will spend a minimum of 8 hours per week for these 8 weeks (some participants have reported occasionally spending 12 or 15 hours per week) to accomplish the assignments. The effort is similar to a graduate level seminar in intensity and expectation.

The practicum concludes with a final cohort meeting — in person — at a weekend workshop, during which sample teachings and guided meditations are presented and reviewed.

After the workshop, participants prepare and submit a comprehensive Teaching Statement that explains one’s perspective on and approach to teaching CBCT, sets goals for further development of teaching abilities and methods, and sets intentions for bringing CBCT to certain populations or folding into one’s ongoing professional development.

III. Supervised Co-Teaching (aka, Teaching Assistantship)

Dates: Varies. Typically this will be a 10 week course, beginning after successful completion of the Practicum, to be arranged on a case by case basis.

2017 Fees: To be determined (US Program price, for comparison:$2100)

To complete the Teacher Certification, trainees typically co-teach a ten-week course with an experienced CBCT teacher with Supervised Co-Teaching. Working with the training director(s) and the co-teacher, TAs develop personal goals for their own development as teachers and review this goals periodically throughout the course to evaluate progress. They also receive feedback and guidance on teaching strategies and approaches from the co-teacher and the Teacher Certification director, based on goals set and also adherence to the protocol. TAs submit weekly class notes and reflections, continue to develop their personal practice alongside the participants whom they are teaching, and are asked to keep a journal of their thoughts on their teaching and practice.

Notes:

For Supervised Co-Teaching that occurs at a distance from Atlanta, it will be necessary to videotape sessions and share them electronically and also to provide written class plans for review throughout the course. Translation into English (or, in some cases, Spanish) will need to be arranged by participants in order to engage with the supervision process fully.

Given that the number of available teaching opportunities is limited and outside the control of the CBCT program, and that trainees often are asked to interact with study participants and sensitive populations, Emory can sometimes help with placement of teachers but this placement will be assigned solely at the discretion of the Director and is not guaranteed for any individual or within a particular time frame.

These requirements are based on the observation that a personal contemplative practice is central to the communicative ability regarding the concepts and practices of CBCT and also to the ongoing development of the teacher. Some educators and clinicians with much experience in fields such as psychology, neuroscience, social work, or education may have a great deal of practice presenting material to students and/or relating to clients in therapeutic setting, but still not have the practice experience. In thesecases,individualsmay be admitted before having attended the required retreat. If admitted with this exception, the trainee is expected to fulfill the retreat requirement before being considered for the Supervised Co-Teaching (TAship).

Application

Personal Practice (approximately 750 words or less)

Please describe your personal meditation practice for the last two years, including the style of meditation you practice and the typical duration and frequency of each session.

1.a. If you have been practicing regularly for more than two years, please briefly describe your past experience.

Who are your teachers? What teachings or books have most informed or influenced your practice?

Please list all teacher-led residential retreats that you have attended. Be sure to include the name of the retreat, location/center, dates and teacher(s).

What is the significance of your personal practice in your life and work?

Professional Training (approximately 500 words or less)

Please describe any educational or clinical training or work experience that may have prepared you to lead a CBCT program.

Include your resume or CV in support of this statement and also to give a full picture of your professional history.

III. Personal Statement (please address the following in 1000 words or less)

Please describe your interest in teaching CBCT specifically. What draws you to this particular program? Why are you interested in studying and teaching compassion meditation in particular?

How to you hope to incorporate this training into your own work?

What current strengths would be of most benefit as you approach the teaching of CBCT?

Which of your current abilities would you expect would need the most attention and effort as you go through the training to teacher CBCT?

References

Provide two (2) references who are willing and able – if contacted – to comment in some depth on your professional and communication skills. Include for each: Name, Title, Organization, Phone Number(s), Email Address, a brief description of your connection, and the number of years you have known each other. Mentor figures, when available,are requested.

Submittal

To submit an application, email documents (.doc or .docx or .pdf) directly to Timothy Harrison, Assistant Director of CBCT, at timothy.harrison@emory.edu.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 1, 2017. Early submittal is encouraged. (Applications received after this date may be considered in special cases. Please contact us to inquire about exceptions.) Review and acceptance notifications will be completed by June 15.

Seeds of Compassion Scholarship Fund

We are so pleased to have a scholarship fund to support new CBCT Teacher trainees. Each year, we are typically able to offer a limited number of partial scholarships. If you are interested in applying for scholarship support, please include a statement of this request and a brief description of your level of need with your completed CBCT Teacher Certification application. Award recipients will be notified along with acceptance into the program.